# Athletics at the 2024 Summer Olympics – Women's 4 × 100 metres relay

The women's 4 x 100 metres relay at the 2024 Summer Olympics was held in two rounds at the Stade de France in Paris, France, on 8 and 9 August 2024. This was the 23rd time that the women's 4 x 100 metres relay was contested at the Summer Olympics. A total of 16 teams were able to qualify for the event through the 2024 World Athletics Relays or the World Athletics top list.

## Summary

Jamaica was the defending champions, but none of the individuals on their team returned. For returning silver medalists USA, only Gabrielle Thomas competed. Bronze medalists Great Britain brought back three Dina Asher-Smith, Imani-Lara Lansiquot and Daryll Neita. More recently, USA won the 2022 and 2023 World Championships with much the same team, defeating a much stronger team from Jamaica in 2023, with GBR also with a similar team in third. GBR was second in 2022 while a similar German team was bronze. USA had the gold medalist in the 200 with second, third and fifth in the 100 final. That would, on paper, be the favorites. No other team put more than one into the 100 final. Unlike the other relays, USA ran the same four athletes in both rounds.
GBR started off fast with Asher-Smith opening up a third of a second over GER Alexandra Burghardt, with Melissa Jefferson USA, Alana Reid JAM and Salomé Kora about even behind GER. Lansiquot maintained the GBR lead, but Twanisha Terry rocketed the backstretch to put USA clearly in second. Gémima Joseph ran a strong second leg to put France in third. During the pass, Thomas had her hand out a long time before Terry could find it with the baton, costing USA some time. Gina Lückenkemper ran a fast turn to bring Germany even with GBR. France was slightly ahead of USA for the final handoff, but it was to 2023 World Champion Sha'Carri Richardson with a running start. Richardson looked back to make sure the baton got into her hand. Germany had the lead handing off to Rebekka Haase, a step up on GBR with Daryll Neita working down the home stretch to reel in Haase. Bursting out of the crowd, Richardson cruised by Neita and Haase half way down the straightway, then looking back to make sure she had the win for the USA.

## Background

The 4 × 100 metres relay at the Summer Olympics is the shortest track relay event held at the multi-sport event. The women's event has been continuously held since the 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam.
Global records before the 2024 Summer Olympics :
| Record | Athlete (Nation) | Time (s) | Location | Date |
| World record | United States (Tianna Madison, Allyson Felix, Bianca Knight, Carmelita Jeter) | 40.82 | London, United Kingdom | 10 August 2012 |
| Olympic record | United States (Tianna Madison, Allyson Felix, Bianca Knight, Carmelita Jeter) | 40.82 | London, United Kingdom | 10 August 2012 |
| World leading | Great Britain (Dina Asher-Smith, Imani Lansiquot, Amy Hunt, Daryll Neita) | 41.55 | London, United Kingdom | 20 July 2024 |
Area records before the 2024 Summer Olympics :
| Area Record | Athlete (Nation) | Time (s) |
| Africa (records) | Ivory Coast (Murielle Ahouré-Demps, Marie-Josée Ta Lou, Jessika Gbai, Maboundou Koné) | 41.90 |
| Asia (records) | China (Lin Xiao, Li Yali, Liu Xiaomei, Li Xuemei) | 42.23 |
| Europe (records) | East Germany (Silke Möller, Sabine Rieger-Günther, Ingrid Auerswald-Lange, Marlies Göhr) | 41.37 |
| North, Central America and Caribbean (records) | United States (Tianna Madison, Allyson Felix, Bianca Knight, Carmelita Jeter) | 40.82 WR |
| Oceania (records) | Australia (Ella Connolly, Bree Masters, Kristie Edwards, Torrie Lewis) | 42.48 |
| South America (records) | Brazil (Evelyn dos Santos, Ana Lemos, Franciela Krasucki, Rosângela Santos) | 42.29 |

## Qualification

For the women's 4 x 100 metres relay event, fourteen teams qualified through the 2024 World Athletics Relays. The remaining two spots were awarded to the teams with the highest ranking on the World Athletics Top List. The qualification period is between 1 July 2023 and 30 June 2024.
| Qualification event | No. of teams | Qualified teams |
| 2024 World Athletics Relays | 14 | Australia Canada France Germany Great Britain Italy Ivory Coast Jamaica Netherlands Nigeria Poland Switzerland Trinidad and Tobago United States |
| World Athletics Top List (as of June 30, 2024) | 2 | Spain Belgium |
| Total | 16 | |

## Results
### Round 1

Round 1 was held on 8 August, starting at 11:10 (UTC+2) in the morning.

#### Heat 1

| Rank | Lane | Nation | Competitors | Reaction | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 6 | United States | Melissa Jefferson, Twanisha Terry, Gabrielle Thomas, Sha'Carri Richardson | 0.144 | 41.94 | Q |
| 2 | 7 | Germany | Sophia Junk, Lisa Mayer, Gina Lückenkemper, Rebekka Haase | 0.152 | 42.15 | Q, SB |
| 3 | 2 | Switzerland | Salomé Kora, Sarah Atcho-Jaquier, Léonie Pointet, Mujinga Kambundji | 0.133 | 42.38 | Q, SB |
| 4 | 5 | Australia | Ella Connolly, Bree Masters, Kristie Edwards, Torrie Lewis | 0.153 | 42.75 | |
| 5 | 8 | Poland | Magdalena Niemczyk, Krystsina Tsimanouskaya, Magdalena Stefanowicz, Ewa Swoboda | 0.156 | 42.86 | |
| 6 | 4 | Italy | Zaynab Dosso, Dalia Kaddari, Irene Siragusa, Arianna De Masi | 0.159 | 43.03 | |
| – | 3 | Belgium | Rani Vincke, Rani Rosius, Elise Mehuys, Delphine Nkansa | 0.137 | DQ | TR 24.7 |
| – | 9 | Ivory Coast | Murielle Ahouré-Demps, Jessika Gbai, Maboundou Koné, Marie Josée Ta Lou-Smith | 0.153 | DQ | TR 17.2.3 |

#### Heat 2

| Rank | Lane | Nation | Competitors | Reaction | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 7 | Great Britain | Bianca Williams, Imani Lansiquot, Amy Hunt, Desiree Henry | 0.173 | 42.03 | Q |
| 2 | 6 | France | Orlann Oliere, Gémima Joseph, Hélène Parisot, Chloé Galet | 0.163 | 42.13 | Q |
| 3 | 9 | Jamaica | Alana Reid, Kemba Nelson, Shashalee Forbes, Tia Clayton | 0.164 | 42.35 | Q, SB |
| 4 | 8 | Canada | Sade McCreath, Jacqueline Madogo, Marie-Éloïse Leclair, Audrey Leduc | 0.140 | 42.50 | q, NR |
| 5 | 5 | Netherlands | Isabel van den Berg, Marije van Hunenstijn, Minke Bisschops, Tasa Jiya | 0.157 | 42.64 | q |
| 6 | 4 | Nigeria | Justina Tiana Eyakpobeyan, Favour Ofili, Rosemary Chukwuma, Tima Godbless | 0.168 | 42.70 | SB |
| 7 | 3 | Spain | Sonia Molina-Prados, Jaël Bestué, Paula Sevilla, María Isabel Pérez | 0.183 | 42.77 | SB |
| 8 | 2 | Trinidad and Tobago | Akilah Lewis, Sole Frederick, Sanaa Frederick, Leah Bertrand | 0.156 | 43.99 | |

### Final

The final was held on 9 August, starting at 19:30 (UTC+2) in the evening.
| Rank | Lane | Nation | Competitors | Reaction | Time | Notes |
| | 5 | United States | Melissa Jefferson, Twanisha Terry, Gabrielle Thomas, Sha'Carri Richardson | 0.155 | 41.78 | SB |
| | 8 | Great Britain | Dina Asher-Smith, Imani-Lara Lansiquot, Amy Hunt, Daryll Neita | 0.177 | 41.85 | |
| | 7 | Germany | Alexandra Burghardt, Lisa Mayer, Gina Lückenkemper, Rebekka Haase | 0.166 | 41.97 | SB |
| 4 | 6 | France | Orlann Oliere, Gémima Joseph, Hélène Parisot, Chloé Galet | 0.156 | 42.23 | |
| 5 | 4 | Jamaica | Alana Reid, Kemba Nelson, Shashalee Forbes, Tia Clayton | 0.143 | 42.29 | SB |
| 6 | 3 | Canada | Sade McCreath, Jacqueline Madogo, Marie-Éloïse Leclair, Audrey Leduc | 0.129 | 42.69 | |
| 7 | 2 | Netherlands | Isabel van den Berg, Marije van Hunenstijn, Minke Bisschops, Tasa Jiya | 0.144 | 42.74 | |
| – | 9 | Switzerland | Salomé Kora, Sarah Atcho-Jaquier, Léonie Pointet, Mujinga Kambundji | 0.134 | DQ | TR 24.7 |